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Cover of the Week: “Batman,” “Winter Soldier,” Hit-Girl & More

Each Monday, staff writers Kevin Melrose and Steve Sunu discuss their five favorite covers from the previous Wednesday’s new comic releases, selecting from among them CBR’s Cover of the Week.

Keep reading for Kevin and Steve’s favorites from the week of Feb. 12, and then discuss your choices in the CBR forums.

“Batman” #28, by Dustin Nguyen (DC Comics)

The brilliance of this cover isn’t so much about Dustin Nguyen’s technical skills — although there’s no denying he’s a tremendously skilled penciler and painter — as it is about the concept. This cover is so well conceived that it would be virtually impossible for a reader with even a passing interest in DC’s Dark Knight to pass up this issue. There’s a mystery behind that aged metal door — is it in Arkham Asylum? — and only a Bat-emblem-shaped key will gain the reader entry. I’m not a fan of the typography of “A Secret Glimpse Into Batman Eternal” — it’s a strange color choice and jumble of fonts — but I do like how the weird stain from the key hole draws the eye to the words. — Kevin Melrose

“Kick-Ass 3” #6, by Jerome OpeÃ±a (Marvel)

Jerome OpeÃ±a’s variant features Hit-Girl sitting serenely on top of a couple dead bodies in a dark homage to the classic “Saturday Evening Post” covers. The design was so iconic it was once used for the poster of “The Sting,” the greatest con movie of all time. Opena really nails the character in profile — a somber Hit-Girl placid and calm amidst the carnage below her. A great homage and impeccably drawn cover, “Kick-Ass 3” #6 was one of the more fun covers on offer this week. — Steve Sunu

“X-Force” #1, by Phil Noto (Marvel)

Phil Noto’s “X-Force” #1 variant continues Marvel’s love of homages, this time giving a nod to the pulp/sci-fi covers of yesteryear. Everything from the design of the logo to the slogan and Noto’s ethereal pencils lend a level of gravitas — it’s almost enough to believe the image is for an “X-Force” prose novel, no small feat for a comic book cover. — Steve Sunu

“X-Men Legacy” #24, by Mike Del Mundo

It’s perhaps not the strongest cover of Mike Del Mundo’s stellar run on the series, but there’s a sense of solemnity — of finality — to this one last illustration, as Blindfold shaves off Legion’s trademark (and impossibly tall) mohawk, revealing him to look more like his father than he’d probably care to admit. — Kevin Melrose

At Marvel, Jim Steranko’s psychedelic black-and-white spirals and circles from the cover of “Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.” #4 has developed as visual shorthand for “espionage tale” — and if any comic is ripe for that treatment, it’s probably this one, set in the 1960s. But to Andrew Robinson’s great credit, he opts for an unexpected, and no less stunning, approach, drawing inspiration instead from the popular lava laps of the era. The result integrates classic elements of noir — the dramatic shadows, Fury sitting in for the world-weary detective, the femme fatale perched on the edge of the desk — with those of ’60s psychedelia, as the light from the lamp paints the room with not only the playful patterns on the wall but with a portion of the comic’s title. — Kevin Melrose